We use cookies to give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your cookie settings, we assume that you consent to our use of cookies on this device. You can change your cookie settings at any time but if you do, you may lose some functionality on our website. More information can be found in our terms of use.

Mein Kampf is to be printed and sold after 70 years

Mein Kampf, the controversial book written by Adolf Hitler whilst in prison in 1924, has been published and sold in German shops for the first time in 70 years. A controversial critical edition of the bookhas sold out instantly after going on sale in German bookshops for the first time in 70 years.

Demand for the 2,000-page annotated version of the inflammatory text that hit bookstores on January 8 massively exceeded supply, with 15,000 advance orders for an initial print run of just 4,000 copies.

The new edition of the notorious partly-autobiographical manifesto has been printed after the copyright, held by the German state of Bavaria which had refused to publish the book, expired on January 1 2016.

Germany's main Jewish group, the Central Council of Jews, said it has no objections to the critical edition but still strongly supported efforts to prevent any new 'Mein Kampf' versions without annotations.

Its president Josef Schuster said he hopes the critical edition will “contribute to debunking Hitler's inhuman ideology and counteracting anti-Semitism”.

The Jewish community in Germany criticised the decision to reprint the anti-Semitic book, questioning whether it was necessary to propagate the text again.

Versions of the book will also go on sale in France and are expected to cause an outcry in the Jewish community there.

There is no news at the moment for printing in the UK but we will have to see what the reaction is in this country for the reprinting one of the most controversial books ever printed.

If you'd like to know more about this article please send an email to Thomas Mould quoting the article title and any questions you might have, alternatively call the office number on 02380 235 979 or send an enquiry through our contact form.